Thanks for this most helpful post, Annie:

<<3. MOST HELPFUL>

Candidates: Penguincw

Nominees: Annie K., Phony Benoni, WinKing>

<<13. PLAYER OF THE YEAR>

Candidates: Magnus Carlsen

Nominees: Pavel Eljanov, Veselin Topalov>

<<2. BEST USERNAME>

Candidates:

Nominees: Mating Net, Party Animal, thegoodanarchist>

<<6. MOST CONSTRUCTIVE>

Candidates: Golden Executive

Nominees: Annie K., SwitchingQuylthulg, WinKing>

1. Best Avatar <User: trulssk> and <User: Sneaky>

2. Best Username <Sneaky> and <User: elvuelodelcondor>

3. Most Helpful <Penguincw> and <WinKing>

5. Funniest Poster <technical draw> and <WannaBe>

7. Best Profile <User: parisattack> and <User: visayanbraindoctor>

10. Most Informed <cro777> and <SwitchingQuylthulg>

11. Best Historian <Tabanus>

13. Player of the Year <Magnus Carlsen>

<Golden Executive> and <esteemed colleagues>

<Tabanus> doesn't need another nomination, because he's already a candidate:

<<11. BEST HISTORIAN>

Candidates: Tabanus

Nominees:>

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<Annie K.'s> recent update list is good to keep in mind:

jnpope Perfidious Whiteshark

<2. BEST USERNAME>

TheGoodAnarchist Setnoescapeon hms123

<3. MOST HELPFUL>

Penguincw MissScarlet SallySimpson

<4. BEST POST>
latvalatvian: A Giri vs Svidler, 2015 (kibitz #2) <latvalatvian: Just to give a brief summary of these players approach to chess: First, they go to Kibitzer's Corner and read all the commentary about them, paying close attention to the criticism. Then they write a short essay defending themselves against this criticism. Next, they review the rules of chess and the Maxims laid down by Steinitz. Then they write down the variations that Stockfish 6 considers and the variations that the 1967 Greenplatt computer chess program considers. Next they try to implement Gleenplatt moves into their opening systems realizing that most Grandmasters have forgotten about this program. Then they go to the chess board and think about the various mythologies that could arise from their games. They think about what mythologies they want to come true and play accordingly.>

TheFocus: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches... <TheFocus: This is match game 3 of a match played in 1883. The match is not known or shown in Sid Pickard's <The Games of Wilhelmina Steinitz>...> Followed by <TheFocus: That should be Wilhelmina and not Wilhelmina.>

TheTamale:
Igor Ivanov vs L Witt, 1981 <TheTamale: I wonder why this opening is classified as "Benko Gambit: Accepted. Yugoslav without 7...Bxf1" when Black's 7th move, in fact, is Bxf1...?>

<5. FUNNIEST POSTER>

User: 310metaltrader latvalatvian
TheGoodAnarchist

<6. MOST CONSTRUCTIVE>

User: Mudphudder User: Zhbugnoimt User: AylerKupp

<7. BEST PROFILE>

User: AJ of Alaska User: AylerKupp User: zanzibar

<8. BEST ANALYSIS>
User: zanzibar User: Honza Cervenka User: thomastonk

<9. BEST GAME COLLECTION> User: thomastonk Zanzibar
PhoneyBenoni

<10. MOST INFORMED> User: Tabanus User: Retireborn User: MissScarlett

<11. BEST HISTORIAN> User: MissScarlett SallySimpson
ThomasTonk

<12. BEST (WORST) PUN OF THE YEAR> Shredder vs Gull, 2013 "UnBb3vable!" Hamppe vs Meitner, 1872 "The Immortal Draw" Steinitz vs Bird, 1895 "One Flew Over the Steinitz Nest"

<13. PLAYER OF THE YEAR> Howell Giri Gelfand

I nominate <TheFocus> most informed

I nominate <Karposian> Best profile

I nominate <Harry lime> for most helpful.

I nominate <Abdel Irada> For funniest poster>

I'll think about the others but let me just say this now and I'll shut up. In fact it's exactly what I said last year...and the year before.

Humour is a very funny subject, please pardon the pun. I've got friends who absolutely abhor Three Stooges, but love Austin Powers, and loves Airplane or Naked Gun, but distain Simpsons.

I nominate <Karposian> for Best Profile.

I nominate <harrylime> for Most Helpful.

<MarkFinan> and <TheFocus> your Best Post nominations are not valid - please submit actual posts, not just user names.

And Mark, you may be right to an extent, but you're not helping things this way. :)